Tuiskoms, meaning \u201chomecoming\u201d, tackles different types of grief. <\/p>\n
When Snyman and Pretorius started working with two other writers, Sandra Vaughn and Rosalind Butler, the theme of loss was expanded through three generations of women. <\/p>\n
As Fleur deals with the loss of a business and her husband, her teenage daughter Kelly (Jane de Wet) is grappling with the emotional impact of moving away from everything she knows. <\/p>\n
The late Michelle Botes, who brilliantly plays Abigail, Fleur\u2019s mother, is also grieving the loss of her marriage. <\/p>\n
These women, from different generations, Snyman adds, have to heal and start over. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was fascinating to think about how people find joy again through a renewed sense of purpose. For instance, Fleur starts making flowers while reuniting with her mother, getting to know her better and settling past hurts to become a family again. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe does all this while also working on being a better mother to her teenage daughter.\u201d <\/p>\n
Snyman says they wanted to use the vehicle of a dramedy to tell uplifting stories. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult finding the balance because you start from a place of sadness, which is hard with an audience. So, that\u2019s why we try to blend humour with the drama, so that viewers don\u2019t become completely doom and gloom. We like telling stories of hope and joy, stories that show how great and resilient South Africans are and what an amazing country we have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snyman contends that a dramedy offers the opportunity to explore love beyond romance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just physical romance but literally seeing the ocean, the flowers and all sort of the breathtaking natural sights. It\u2019s that thing of when you have to find yourself again. <\/p>\n
\u201cFleur doesn\u2019t just find love, she also finds herself and the town\u2019s uniqueness. I mean, nothing in life is perfect, but we\u2019ve always kind of felt, you must seek perfect imperfection in life, in the sense of nothing\u2019s ever going to be ideal, but there\u2019s still so many things around you that are great and wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n Shot on location in the town of Wilderness along the Garden Route, the beauty of the beaches and trails in the series is undeniable. <\/p>\n Snyman says what they liked about Wilderness was the contrast between the rough sea and the steady mountains and forests.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see it the same with the characters \u2014they are also sort of wild inside. One minute they\u2019re happy and the next minute they\u2019re sad.\u201d <\/p>\n Driven by the sounds of guitars and pianos, Tuiskoms features a copious supply of kisses and flowers. And I mean a truckload of flowers with South Africa\u2019s national flower, the Protea, at the forefront of this visual experience.<\/p>\n When Snyman and the team visited Wilderness, to do research, they were surprised to find out how many farms were available as locations, growing indigenous flora such as proteas and pincushions for export. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s quite a big industry with many flower farmers, designers and florists.\u201d <\/p>\n Snyman says due to these fascinating findings they wanted to promote local flowers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was important to us to celebrate our flower industry. Most of the actors that have to work with the flowers even had to get training on flower designing. <\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to put it front and centre because, if we were going to get this one chance with a Netflix series, we wanted the rest of the world to see our country\u2019s beauty and artistry.\u201d <\/p>\n Snyman emphasises that was why they shot everything on location: \u201cIf viewers watch the show and like it, they can go to those places because they actually exist.\u201d <\/p>\n Following the release of the crime thriller series Ludik in 2022, Tuiskoms is Netflix\u2019s second original Afrikaans production. The Afrikaans market\u2019s voracious viewership and production is incontestable, be it in film, television and even literature.<\/p>\n Regarding Afrikaans content for television, DStv\u2019s KykNET channels are the dominant players. Its annual Silwerskerm Awards are proof of this commitment to celebrating the Afrikaans film and television industry. <\/p>\n Netflix\u2019s competitor Showmax has also built a sizable inventory of Afrikaans shows, such as Koek and Wyfie, since its relaunch last February. Just last month, for instance, the local streamer released rom-coms Soos Pynappel op Pizza and Gebokste Liefde to capture the Valentine\u2019s Day hype.<\/p>\n Tuiskoms can, however, be enjoyed at any month of the year and time of day. Its relatable, easy-to-follow storyline will appeal to a variety of audiences, including a Motswana-Zulu viewer like me. When my Afrikaans bundles and lessons from my in-laws faded, subtitles supplemented my watching experience. <\/p>\n Having produced rom-com Troukoors (Wedding Fever) in 2021, Snyman responded to my question about what made rom-coms especially appealing to audiences in South Africa.<\/p>\n \u201cSome viewers look for an escape,\u201d he says. \u201cWith Troukoors we were happy to also draw a large black female audience who enjoyed it. <\/p>\n \u201cI think the thing about a romcom is, if you get it right, viewers from any background can actually relax and enjoy it. They can go on a journey with the characters and sort of experience their lives.\u201d <\/p>\n Towards the end of our interview, Snyman reflects on working with Netflix. He and the team at Infinity Films wanted to put their best foot forward to showcase our country\u2019s diverse cultures and refreshing stories to the world.<\/p>\n \u201cAll we ever see about South Africa is our sports stars, singers and politicians. So when you actually get the chance to tell a story, you want to tell it well so they can see there\u2019s this whole world here. <\/p>\n \u201cNetflix understood our vision and supported us all the way from start to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n For some, going back to your parents after the city life has broken your spirit can be a daunting experience filled with shame. For others, however, it is a Sunday afternoon reunion with friends and family surrounded by flower shops, caf\u00e9s and coastal scenery.<\/p>\n It is a pair of shoes or a T-shirt found in your old bedroom that still fits. You cry not only from the unexpected familiarity but also the foreign feeling of loss. Suddenly you remember going back home is not failure, but another chapter worth continuing to write. <\/p>\n Tuiskoms is about healing, heart and humour. It is about overcoming interpersonal struggles in order to let go of the old and to let in the new.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While I negotiated which hat to wear for our virtual interview, writer and producer Albert Snyman was negotiating Cape Town traffic. Dressed in a black shirt and wearing glasses, he<\/p>\n![\"Tuiskomss1](\"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TuiskomsS1_Netflix_18-1000x563-1.jpg\")
A flair for flowers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Tk](\"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TK_AlbertSnyman_02-667x1000-1.jpg\")
Afrikaans to the world<\/strong><\/h2>\n